Key ring holder



va- 11, 1953 A. N. HANNA 2,648,216

KEY RING HOLDER Filed May 2, 1950 t 7a: E

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Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY RiNG Honriirit Atto N. Hanna, Atlantic Highlands, J assignor to A. N. Hanna 30 Ina- Atlantic Highlands, N. J a. corporation of New Jersey Application May 2, 1950, Serial No. 159,420 soiaims. (01116-456) The present invention relates to a key ring holder particularly adapted for use with removable key rings having shanks with enlarged portions.

Key ring holders of the general type under discussion are well known and have taken a large number of forms. In all of these forms the holder is provided with a movable member which, when in one position, is operative to retain the key rings in the holder, and in another position is inoperative insofar as its retaining action is concerned and therefore permits the key rings to be removed from or replaced in the holder. In order that the holder can perform its function of keeping the key rings, and the keys attached thereto, in place and providing against accidental or unwanted separation of the keys and key rings from the holder, some means must be provided for retaining the movable member in its first named or blocking position. Various structures have been devised in the past to accomplish this purpose, all of them being characterized by relative degrees of complexity and requiring the use of additional parts, thus presenting problems of assembl and cost which are quite vexing.

The most common expedient for retaining the movable member in its blocking position is a separate sprin active between the holder proper and the movable member so as to resiliently urge that member toward its blocking position. When the member is moved into its unblocking position it requires considerable force to retain it in said unblocking position against the action of the spring while the key rings are removed from or replaced within the holder. Hence one hand of the user is occupied, and removal and replacement operations become awkward and difficult when only one hand can be used for them.

It is therefore desirable, in key holders of the typeunder discussion, that the movable memher, when once moved to thep'ositionin which it permits removal and replacement of the key rings, will remain that position for as long as desired without having to be manually held in that position. W Some provisions have been made to end but thes'eprovisions have been uniformly characterized by complexity of structure, requiring the use of additional partsrand ti senting additional problems of assembly indeed.

The key holder of the present invention is an extremely simplif ed structureconsisting in its se ms an P this t ee t rs and or a movable member or slide: he other parts are required, although a rivet or eyelet is desirable to limit the motion of the slide andto retain the slide and housing in assembled relationship. Both the housing and slide may be, and preferably are, of unitary or integral constru'ction, and each may be formed from suitable sheet stock so that manufacture is simplified and made extremely inexpensive. The -slide and housing are themselves so constructed that the slide will remain in its blocking position, in which it prevents removal or replacement of key rings, once it is manually moved from that position. When the slide is moved to its unblocking position, in which it permits removal or replacement of key rings, it will remain in its unblocking position without having to be manually held until it is again moved therefrom. Thus an effective and efficient key ring holder is produced from a minimum of parts which has a mode 'of operation and a facility of use the equal of or superior to many other much more complicated devices.

These desirable results are achieved by providing the slide with a retaining member, preferably integral therewith, which retaining memher is resiliently urged, preferably through its own inherent characteristics, into sliding contact with the housing, the frictional or other force engendered between the retaining member and the housing serving to keep the slide in any position in which it may be manually placed. In order to provide for somewhat more positiveness of operation a detent and recess interengagement is provided between the retaining member and the housing when the slide is in one of its positions, thus requiring an additional increment of force to move the slide from that position.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the construction of a key ring holder and of a slide therefor as defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the holder of the present invention incorporated into a key case;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View, with parts thereof broken away, of the holder of Fig. l, but on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the holder of Fig. 2, showing the housing and the slide separated;

Fig. is a cross-sectional view of the slide taken along the use t t or Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a one k H I s'ecticn'a'l new of the holder take'h along the line 5'5 oi 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the slide in another position;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line L-l of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 6.

The key ring holder of the present invention is composed of a housing generally designated A and a slide generally designated B, the latter being movable within the former between a first or blocking position in which it is effective to prevent removal or replacement of key rings C from the holder, and a second or unblocking position in which it permits such removal or replacement. On the slide is a retaining member generally designated D which is movable with the slide B, is preferably integral therewith, and resiliently and slidably engages the housing A, the frictional or other force between the retaining member D and the housing A acting to hold the slide B in whichever position it may be placed.

Viewed more specifically, the housing A includes a base plate 2 provided with a plurality of apertures 4 through which rivets, eyelets or the like 6 are adapted to be passed to secure the housing A to a leather sheath 8 which may, in conventional manner, have fiaps l0, I provided with cooperating snap fasteners l2, l2 and adapted to cover the housing A when that is desired. Extending from the base plate 2 is a reversely bent part I 4 defining a comparatively wide passage portion I6 (see Fig. which extends longitudinally of the housing A. The reversely bent part l4 terminates in a part l8 disposed parallel to the base plate 2 and spaced therefrom by means of downwardly depending flange 20 so that a relatively narrow longitudinal passage portion 22 (see Fig. 5) is defined between the part l8 and the base plate 2 therebelow. The passage portions I6 and 22 communicate with one another. Registering apertures 24 are provided in the part l8 and in the base plate 2 through which a rivet, eyelet or the like 26 is receivable for purposes hereinafter to be described. The housing, and particularly the reversely bent part [4 thereof, is provided with one or more transverse slots each consisting of a relatively narrow portion 28 extending over most of the length thereof and of an enlarged portion 30 preferably at the bottom thereof and opening into the wide passage portion IS.

The key rings C each have a looped part 3| on which a key 32 is adapted to be removably received, and a shank 33 terminating in an enlarged ball 34. The size of the ball 34 is such that it can freely pass through the enlarged slot portions 30 but cannot pass through the comparatively narrow slot portions 28, the shanks 33 of the rings C being of a size such that they are freely movable in the comparatively narrow slot portion 28. Consequently the key rings C may be removed from or replaced in the housing A by passing their ball tips 34 through the enlarged slot portions 30.

In order to prevent unwanted or accidental detachment of the key rings C, a slide B is provided, that slide being defined by a body 36 receivable within the narrow passage 22 and slidable therethrough longitudinally of the housing A. The body 36 may be provided with an elongated slot 33 through which the rivet or eyelet 26 is passable, said rivet or eyelet thus serving to limit the degree of motion of the slide B with respect to the housing A, to retain the slide B and housing A in assembled relationship, and to retain the part I 8 of the housing A in close juxtaposition to the base plate 2 therebelow. The slide is provided with one or more blocking members 40 which extend into the wide passage portions 16 and over the enlarged slot portions 30. The blocking members 40 are so shaped that, in the blocking position of the slide B with respect to the housing A, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 7, they come into registration with the enlarged slot portions 30 and block those portions, so that the ball tips 34 of the key rings C cannot pass therethrough. When the slide B is moved to another and unblocking position as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, the blocking members 40 are moved out of registration with the enlarged slot portions 39 and do not interfere with or block those enlarged slot portions 30, thus permitting key rings C to be removed from or replaced in the holder. In order to permit manipulation of the slide B so that it may be moved between its operative and inoperative positions, a handle must be provided, this being conveniently done by turning up one end of the slide B so as to define upstanding finger 42, this finger extending above the part l8 of the housing A so as to be readily graspable by the user. The slot 38 is so positioned and is of such a length as to permit motion of the slide B with respect to the housing A only between a blocking position and an adjacent unblocking position. (Compare Figs. 2 and 7 with Figs. 6 and 8.)

In order to permit the slide B to remain in any position until it is later manually moved therefrom, the slide B is provided with a retaining member D which takes the form of a finger 44 preferably integral with the body portion 36 of the slide B but struck up therefrom out of the plane of the body portion 36 to a sufficient degree so that it will be resiliently urged into sliding frictional contact with a wall, here shown as the upper wall (8, defining the narrow passage portion 22 within which the body 36 is slidable. While some additional means could be incorporated into the structure to ensure resilient engagement between the finger 44 and the part l8 of the housing A without departing from the broader aspects of the invention, it is preferred that the slide B be formed of some material such as spring steel, which is itself inherently resilient, the slide B being so shaped that it can be cut from sheets of such material and then have its various parts appropriately bent or otherwise formed by means of operations conducive to mass production. In that way the finger 44 may be formed along with the remainder of the slide B at little additional expense or trouble.

The friction engendered between the finger 44 and the part l8 of the housing A is in general sufficient to cause the slide B to remain into any position in which it may be placed. However, it is usually desired to have some additional force restraining the slide B from moving away from its operative blocking position. This is accomplished very conveniently in the construction under discussion by providing the finger 44 with a convexity or protrusion 46 and by providing the portion l8 of the housing A with a concavity or depression 48, the two being so relatively positioned that when the slide B is in its blocking position the protrusion 46 is received within the depression 48 (see Fig. '7), thus providing a detent and recess interengagement. It therefore will require an appreciable pull on the handle 42 before the slide B can be moved from its blocking position as shown in Figs. 2 and 7 to its unblocking position as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. In the latter position the protrusion 46 has moved out of the recess 48 and engages the underside of the housing wall [8, thus causing increased downward flexing of the finger 44 against its inherent resilience and intensifying the force with which the finger A l is urged against the housing portion l8 and the frictional resistance against movement of the slide B to its blocking position. As a result, when the slide B is moved into its unblocking position it will remain there, leaving both hands of the user free for manipulating the key rings C, and when the slide B is placed in its blocking position it will remain there semipositively, resisting moderate forces tending to displace it and requiring the exertion of a special force to move it so as to permit removal of key rings C.

The advantages and mode of operation of the key ring holder of the present invention will in the main be fully apparent from the above description. Only two parts are employed, each being so constructed as to be fabricatable from sheet material in an inexpensive manner well adapted to mass production. In order to assemble the device it is merely necessary to position the slide B within the housing A and then secure the two parts together by means of the rivet or eyelet 25. is positive in operation, the slide will be held even more securely in blocking position than is the case in the conventional spring-loaded slide, the slide will remain in its unblocking position when so placed, thus leaving both hands of the user free, and the slide may be moved between its blocking and unblocking positions merely by a simple pull or push.

It is apparent that many variations may be made in the design and construction here disclosed. For example, a detent and recess interengagement could be provided both in the blocking and the unblocking positions of the slide, said interengagement could derive from different structures, and the detent could be provided on the housing and the recess on the slide, that being merely a reversal of parts from what is here specifically shown. These are, of course, merely exemplary of the many modifications which might be made, all within the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Despite its simplicity, the structure I claim:

1. A key ring holder comprising a housing having top and bottom walls defining between themselves a passage with narrow and wide longitudinal portions opening into one another, said housing having a transverse slot with small and enlarged portions, said enlarged portion being in the bottom wall of said wide passage portion, a slide movable longitudinally over the bottom wall of said narrow passage portion between blocking and unblocking positions, a blocking member on said slide movable over the bottom wall of said wide passage portion to a first position registrable with said enlarged slot portion to block the same when said slide is in its blocking position. and movable to a second position out of registration with said enlarged slot portion when said slide is in its unblocking position, and a retaining member on said slide movable therewith in said narrow passage portion and resiliently urged into sliding contact with the upper wall of said narrow passage portion so as to frictionally urge said slide and said blocking member against the bottom Walls or" the narrow and wide passage portions respectively, thereby holding said slide in a position in which it may be placed.

2. The key ring holder of claim 1 in which said retaining member is in the form of a resilient finger integral with said slide and bent up out of the plane thereof so as to engage the top wall of said narrow passage portion.

3. In the key ring holder of claim 2, the top wall of said narrow passage portion having a recess, said retaining member having a detent receivable in said recess when said slide is in its blocking position and resiliently engaging the upper wall of said narrow passage portion when said slide is in its unblocking position.

ATTO N. HANNA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,691,637 Buxton Nov. 13, 1928 1,906,858 Hillyard May 2, 1933 1,959,207 Howe May 15, 1934 2,201,350 Dawson, Jr. -1 May 21, 1940 2,39%,507 Zarowin Feb, 5, 1946 2,401,753 Geller June 11, 1946 2,583,360 Duell Jan. 22, 1952 

